U.S. patent application number 12/627270 was filed with the patent office on 2010-06-03 for fixation pin.
This patent application is currently assigned to Straumann Holding AG. Invention is credited to Steffen Kuhne, Patrick Streff, Edmund Suter.
Application Number | 20100137921 12/627270 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40600298 |
Filed Date | 2010-06-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100137921 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Suter; Edmund ; et
al. |
June 3, 2010 |
FIXATION PIN
Abstract
Fixation pin (1) for fixing a dental drill template. The
fixation pin (1) has a head (5) having a bearing surface (10) that
is intended to bear at least partially on the drill template, or a
sleeve provided in the drill template. The fixation pin (1) has a
rod (15) having a shape of an essentially circular cylinder and
which extends from the bearing surface (10) at an essentially right
angle. The rod (15) is intended to be inserted into the drill
template or the sleeve provided in the drill template.
Inventors: |
Suter; Edmund; (Niederdorf,
CH) ; Kuhne; Steffen; (Mohlin, CH) ; Streff;
Patrick; (Weil am Rhein, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
RISSMAN HENDRICKS & OLIVERIO, LLP
100 Cambridge Street, Suite 2101
BOSTON
MA
02114
US
|
Assignee: |
Straumann Holding AG
Basel
CH
|
Family ID: |
40600298 |
Appl. No.: |
12/627270 |
Filed: |
November 30, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
606/329 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61C 2201/002 20130101;
A61C 8/0089 20130101; A61C 1/084 20130101; A61C 8/009 20130101;
A61B 90/92 20160201 |
Class at
Publication: |
606/329 |
International
Class: |
A61B 17/86 20060101
A61B017/86 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 1, 2008 |
EP |
EP 08 020 837 |
Claims
1. Fixation pin for fixing a dental drill template, the fixation
pin comprising a head having a bearing surface intended to bear at
least partially on the drill template or a sleeve provided in the
drill template, and a rod having a shape of an essentially circular
cylinder and extending from the bearing surface of the head at an
essentially right angle, the rod intended to be inserted into the
drill template or the sleeve provided in the drill template.
2. Fixation pin according to claim 1, wherein the head has a shape
of an essentially circular cylinder.
3. Fixation pin according to claim 1, wherein the head has a
circumventing indentation.
4. Fixation pin according to claim 3, wherein the circumventing
indentation has a concave shape.
5. Fixation pin according to claim 1, wherein the rod has a first
portion extending from the bearing surface of the head, and a
subsequent second portion, wherein the second portion has a
diameter which is smaller than the diameter of the first
portion.
6. Fixation pin according to claim 5, wherein the first portion of
the rod is connected to the second portion by an intervening third
portion, said third portion having a conical shape.
7. Fixation pin according to claim 1, wherein the fixation pin is
made of one single piece.
8. Fixation pin according to claim 1, wherein the fixation pin is
made of a material selected from the group consisting of hard
plastics, stainless steel, titanium and titanium alloys.
9. Fixation pin according to claim 8, wherein the fixation pin is
made of a material selected from the group consisting of titanium
and titanium alloys.
10. Fixation pin according to claim 8, wherein the fixation pin is
made of stainless steel.
11. Fixation pin according to claim 1, wherein the fixation pin
further comprises an aspiration security.
12. Fixation pin according to claim 11, wherein the aspiration
security is a string attached to the head of the fixation pin.
13. A set comprising at least one fixation pin according to claim
1.
14. A method comprising use of the fixation pin according to claim
1 for fixing a dental drill template while drilling a hole in a
patient's jaw bone.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a fixation pin for a dental
template, to a set including the fixation pin and to its use for
fixing a dental drill template.
BACKGROUND
[0002] In dentistry it is well known to replace either missing
teeth or carious teeth where the progress of caries is such that
they cannot be fixed in another, less invasive way. Said missing
teeth are usually replaced by an endosseous implant with an
artificial supra-structure. While quite a lot research has been
done to improve the dental implants themselves, tools and devices
which aid in planning the implantation and during the surgical
intervention have long been neglected. However in recent years such
aiding devices have become more and more important.
[0003] For instance, the drilling of the hole necessary for the
endosseous part of the dental implant has been simplified. While at
the beginning the drilling of the hole was purely dependent on the
skill of the individual surgeon, there are now drill templates
which are adapted to the anatomy of the individual patient and
which serve to achieve a precise drilling of the hole. The drill
template is manufactured after a prior check of the anatomy of the
patient's jaw bone. Such a check helps to define the optimal
position of the necessary bore hole(s). Once this positional
information has been obtained and incorporated into the drill
template by means of bore holes, the drill template is used by the
surgeon to provide an optimal guiding of the drill thereby
achieving the desired axis and dimensions of the hole(s). The
drilling of the holes is a crucial step for a successful
implantation, since it is hardly possible to correct wrongly
positioned bore holes. Even slight corrections, e.g. of the drill
axis, further diminish jaw bone mass and are thus difficult to
correct. Although it is of utmost importance that drill templates
are kept exactly in position once they have been placed on the jaw
or the gum of a patient, there are no special means to keep the
drill template in place during its use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The problem addressed by the present invention is to provide
an article and method for temporarily fixing a drill template in
position while the drill template is used.
[0005] A fixation pin for fixing a dental drill template, according
to one embodiment of the invention, has a head with a bearing
surface that is intended to bear at least partially on a drill
template, or a drill sleeve provided in a drill template. The
fixation pin further has a rod having a shape of an essentially
circular cylinder and which extends from the bearing surface of the
head at an essentially right angle, whereby said rod is intended to
be inserted into the drill template or the drill sleeve provided in
the drill template.
[0006] The fixation pin provides for a fast and reliable fixation
of a drill template and is easy to handle. Since the rod of the
fixation pin does not have a screw thread, there is no screwing
requirement. On the contrary, the essentially cylindrical shape of
the rod can be easily inserted into the drill template, or the
drill sleeve provided in the drill template, and ensures a fast and
detachable fixation of the drill template. In contrast, multiple
insertions of a rod having a screw thread is likely to damage the
bore hole and thus hamper the subsequent insertion of a dental
implant such that the implantation is unsuccessful because of poor
osseointegration of the implant. The fixation pin in various
embodiments of the invention may also serve as a temporary cap of
the bore hole and prevent the intrusion of blood, bone debris and
other unwanted particles or liquids (e.g. saliva of the patient).
This is particularly advantageous if several holes have to be
drilled. Further, the bearing surface of the head of the fixation
pin may provide a physical stop limiting the depth the fixation pin
may be inserted into drill template (or drill sleeve provided in
the drill template), thereby also limiting the depth by which the
fixation pin extends into the bore hole that has been drilled into
the jaw bone.
[0007] In a further embodiment, the head of the fixation pin has a
shape of an essentially circular cylinder.
[0008] In another embodiment, the head has a circumventing
indentation, which circumventing indentation preferably has a
concave shape. The circumventing indentation provides for a good
grip. The good grip avoids unintentional slipping and/or dropping
of the fixation pin by the operator.
[0009] In a further embodiment of the fixation pin, the rod has a
first portion which extends from the bearing surface of the head.
The rod has, subsequent to the first portion, a second portion,
said second portion having a diameter which is smaller than the
diameter of the first portion. The second portion is attached to
the first portion of the rod.
[0010] The axis of the first portion and the second portion of the
rod are preferably coaxial.
[0011] In a further preferred embodiment, the first portion of the
rod is connected to the second portion of the rod by an intervening
third portion which has a conical shape.
[0012] In another embodiment, the fixation pin is made of one
single piece. Being made of one piece the manufacturing of the
fixation pin is simplified and its mechanical stability is further
improved.
[0013] In a further embodiment, the fixation pin is made of a
material which is selected from the group consisting of hard
plastics, stainless steel, titanium and titanium alloys.
[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the fixation pin is made of
titanium or a titanium alloy. Titanium has a very good stability
and is biologically inert, that is to say, it has an excellent
biocompatibility.
[0015] In a further embodiment, the fixation pin is made of
stainless steel. Stainless steel shows a very good stability and is
biologically inert. Stainless steel is readily available and is
inexpensive.
[0016] In another embodiment, the fixation pin further includes an
aspiration security. The aspiration security prevents unwanted
aspiration of the fixation pin by the patient. Such an unwanted
aspiration may be harmful for the patient and cause injury.
[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the aspiration security is a
string that is attached to the head of the fixation pin. For
instance, a dental floss may be bound around the head of the
fixation pin, more precisely, around the circumventing
indentation.
[0018] While the fixation pin is inserted in the drill template (or
a sleeve provided in the drill template) in a patient's mouth, the
end of the string which is opposite to the one attached to the
fixation pin may be temporarily fixed outside the mouth of the
patient. It may also be simply held by hand.
[0019] The present invention also relates to a set that includes at
least one fixation pin. Preferably, the set comprises more than one
fixation pin, whereby at least some of the fixation pins differ in
their diameter. Differing in their diameter means that the fixation
pins have either different diameters in the second portion of the
rod and the same diameter in the first portion, or they differ in
the diameter of the first portion and the diameter of the second
portion is the same. In another alternative the fixation pins in
the set differ both in the diameter of the first portion of the rod
and in the second portion of the rod.
[0020] The present invention also relates to a method of using a
fixation pin for fixing a drill template. The fixation pin provides
for a simple and secure fixation of a drill template in the
patient's mouth. Its use is particularly advantageous for fixing
drill templates which have at least two bore holes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] A fixation pin according to the present invention will be
explained in more detail in the following text with reference to
exemplary embodiments, which are illustrated in the drawings and in
which, schematically:
[0022] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a fixation pin in a
longitudinal section;
[0023] FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of a fixation pin in a
profile view;
[0024] FIG. 3 shows the fixation pin according to FIG. 2 in a
perspective view;
[0025] FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of a fixation pin in a
profile view; and
[0026] FIG. 5 shows the fixation pin according to FIG. 4 in a
perspective view.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a fixation pin according
to the present invention, in a longitudinal section. The fixation
pin 1 has a head 5 which has a bearing surface 10. From the bearing
surface 10 a rod 15 extends at an essentially right angle. The rod
15 has a shape of an essentially circular cylinder and its diameter
is constant throughout the length of the rod. The rod 15 is
arranged in the centre of the bearing surface 10.
[0028] FIG. 2 shows another preferred embodiment of a fixation pin
according to the invention. The fixation pin 2 has a head 45 having
a shape of an essentially circular cylinder. From the bearing
surface 40 of the head 45 extends a rod 55 that also has a shape of
an essentially circular cylinder. The head 45 and the rod 55 are
coaxially arranged and have a common axis 20. Further, the head 45
has a circumventing indentation 25 having a concave shape. The head
45 also carries a mark in the form of a coloured, circumventing
band 30. The coloured circumventing band serves as a colour code
for distinguishing different sets of fixation pins. The colour code
may, for instance, refer to the diameter of the bore hole. Since
different dental implants require bore holes of different
diameters, fixation pins with a portion intended to be inserted
into the bore hole that meet this diameter requirement, are also
needed. The colour code allows for an easy distinction of the
different fixation pins. In addition, the rod carries two height
marks 35, 36 indicating different heights or distances. These marks
provide visible stop marks that allow the surgeon to insert the
fixation pin to a certain depth into the drill template (or the
drill sleeve provided in the drill template) and into the bore
hole. The maximum depth that a fixation pin can be inserted is
limited by the bearing surface 40 of the head 45 of the fixation
pin, thereby providing a physical stop.
[0029] FIG. 3 shows the fixation pin 2 of FIG. 2 in a perspective
view. The fixation pin 2 has a head 45 having a circumventing
indentation 25 of an essentially concave shape. In the concave
indentation 25, the coloured circumventing band 30 is shown. A rod
55 extends in a coaxial direction from the head 45. The rod carries
height marks 35, 36 of which only one 36 can be seen.
[0030] FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of a fixation pin. The
fixation pin 3 has a head 65 having a bearing surface 60 from which
a rod 95 coaxially extends in a direction of the common axis 20.
The head 65 has a circumventing indentation 75 with a coloured
circumventing band 70. The rod 95 has a first portion 96 extending
from the bearing surface 60 and a second portion 97 that has a
smaller diameter than the diameter of the first portion 96. The
first portion 96 of the rod 95 is connected to the second portion
97 by an intervening third portion 98, which third portion has a
conical shape. The height marks 85, 86 are arranged on the first
portion 96 of the rod 95.
[0031] FIG. 5 shows the fixation pin of FIG. 4 in a perspective
view. The fixation pin 3 has head 65 having circumventing
indentation 75 and coloured circumventing band 70. From bearing
surface 60 (which cannot be seen in this view) of the head 65 a rod
95 extends at an essentially right angle. The rod 95 has three
different portions 96, 97 and 98. While the first portion 96
extends from the bearing surface of the head 65, the second portion
97 of the rod 95 is connected to the first portion 96 by an
intervening portion 98 having a conical shape. The second portion
97 has a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the first
portion 96. The intervening portion 98 has two end faces with
different diameters. The end face of the intervening portion 98
with the smaller diameter adjoins the second portion 97 of the rod
95, whereas the end face of the intervening portion 98 having the
greater diameter adjoins the first portion 96 of the rod 95.
* * * * *